World Golf Tour

Caddie hides 15th club in bushes, player disqualified

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PULHEIM, Germany – Jose Manuel Lara has been disqualified from the BMW International Open after the Spaniard's caddie attempted to hide having an extra club in his bag for the first round.

Realizing on the second hole that Lara was using 15 clubs for Thursday's round at the Gut Larcenhof course in Pulheim, the caddie, identified as Mathias Vinson, tried to hide the extra club in some bushes.

Lara thought Vinson had taken a diversion for a ''call of nature,'' but his playing partners, Damien McGrane and Peter Hedblom, became suspicious. Vinson then admitted to Lara that there had been 15 clubs in the bag.

John Paramor, chief referee of the European Tour, told Lara he was disqualified from the $2.5 million tournament because a player is responsible for his caddie's actions. Paramor also said Vinson had been asked not to return to the tour.